Butter cutter



Sept. 1, 1931. E. F. UNDERHILL ET AL ,821,

BUTTER CUTTER Filed Sept. 8, 1930 Elmer]? Underhill and Louis B. Vi'dler 'Patented Sept. 1, 1931 STATES PATENT FFICE ELMER 1?. UNDERHILL AND LOUIS B. VIDLER, OF SEATTLE, "WASHINGTON BUTTER onr'rnn Application filed. September 8, 1930. Serial No. 480,300.

()ur invention relates to butter cutters and certain objects of the invention are to provide a butter cutter that is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, which is each revolution of the cutting element.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear asthe description proceeds, the invention consists of the novel construction, adaptation, combination and arrangement hereinafter described and claimed. These objects are accomplished by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a top plan View of our butter cutter;

Fig. 2 is a view in longitudinal vertical section taken substantially on a broken line 2, 2 of Fig.1; 7

F ig. 3 is a view in rear end elevation;

Fig. 4 is a view in front end elevation;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of the pawl for moving the rack bar;

' Fig. 6 is a detail view inperspective of the pivoted door with cam attached; and

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of the lever for inanually raising the pawl.

Referring to the drawings throughout which like reference nuineralsindicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the casing wherein the butter is placed. Said casing has a depending clamp 6 integral therewith and provided at its lower end with a screw 7 whereby the device may be securely clamped to a table or other convenient stationary object when in use as will be understood.

A butter cutting element comprising a wire 8 having its ends secured to a frame 9 is disposed at the forward end of the casing 5. The ends of said wire may be secured around screws 10 and a screw 11 may be provided for applying tension to the wire if'desired. Said frame is provided with a handle 12 and is secured to an end of a shaft 13 which is jour naled in lugsl l and 15 respectively formed on the side of the casing at either end thereof. A stationary vertical cutting wire 16 is also provided for the forward end of said casing and has its lower end secured centrally of the casing bottom and its upper end secured through the center of a transverse bar 17 that is fastened on the top end edges of the casing side walls.

The remote or rear end of the shaft 13 has a collar 18 secured thereon which is provided with a finger 19 having a rubber disc 20 on its end. Said rubber disc is arranged to engage a cam 21 that is formed on a lower corner of a rear door 22 which is pivotally mounted on an axle 23. Said axle extends transversely of the casing 5 and has its ends fixedly mounted in bearings 24 formed on the upper rear end corners of said casing. Said rear door is provided with a rectangular opening 25 centrally of its lower edge and lugs 26 project outwardly or rearwardly from the sides of said openin From the rear end of the casing 5 and flush with the floor thereof an integral trough or channel 27 extends rearwardly and registers with the opening 25 in the lower edge portion of the door 22. A rack bar 28 is slidably mounted in said trough and is arranged to extend centrally the full length of the casing. Said bar has a large shoulder or abutment 29 formed on its torward end whichsubstantially engrosses the entire cross sectional area of said casing. A pawl 30 is arranged to engage the teeth of the rack bar and has its legs 31 pivotally connected to the lugs 26 of the rear door. A spring 32 has its lower end fixed to a pin 33 secured to the rear door and its upper end connected to a pin 34 fixed to the stationary axle 23 thus providing means whereby the reardoor and its pawl are normally retained in a retracted position.

In the operation of our device the rack bar 28 is moved back all the way until its shoulder 29 abuts against the rear door 22. A small lever 35, as shown in detail in Fig.

with the stationary pin.

7, may be pivoted at 86 to the depending clamp portion 6 with its upper end arranged to engage'the underside of one of the pawl legs 31, as clearly shown in Fig; 3, whereby manual pressure on its lower end will lift said pawl so that said rack may be freely moved backward. After moving said rack bar to its ultimate backward position the brick of butter is placed within the casing and the cutter element is revolved by means of its handle 12.

At each revolution of the cutter frame 9 its shaft 13 will, of course, carry the finger 19 around and cause its rubber disc 20 to engage the cam 21 of the door 22. Said door will thus be pivotally swung inward carrying its pawl 80 forward and said pawl will dra the rack bar 28 forward a distance equal tort-he width of one rack bar tooth. The shoulder 29-, will therefore move the butter forward at equal increments upon each revolution of the on ter element as will be understood. The spring 32 will cause the rear door and its pawl to swing backward at each revolution when the rubber disc 20 passes free of the cam 21. A relatively large hole or slot 37 is centrally provided in the upper hinge bearingof the rear door and the upper spring retaining pin 3 passes through said hole thus providing means whereby said door may s ving freely without interference At each forward movement of the rack bar its shoulder 29 pushes the butter outwardly against the stationary vertical wire lb which bisects the brick of butter and at each revolution of the cutter frame 9 its cutting wire 8 slices off two squares from the two halves as the butter continues to move outwardly. It will beparticula'rly noted that the rubber disc 20 frees itself from the V cam 21 sli 'htl )rior to-the time that the cutting wire engages .the butter brick which 15 therefore always stationary during its time of engagement by the cutting wire.

The cutting element may be rotated at high speed ensuring ease and rapidity in the cut-- ting operation. In order to completely bisect the brick of butter a vertical groove 38 is centrally provided in the shoulder 29 i which receives the vertical stationary wire and thus allows it to pass entirely through the butter. 1 p V The small squares of butter are cut clean and sharp by our device and do not stick together. From the device the butter squares may drop into a receptacle of cold Water. and are ready toserve. The sanitary advantages of our device are worthy of note in view of the fact that the entire butter cutting operation is performed without personal contact with the butter. It will be understood that the rack bar 28 may be re placed by other rack bars having teeth either closer together or further apart when it is desired to cut butter into difierent thicknesses. WVhile we have described our device solely as a butter cutter, same may be used for cutting other articles of food, such as cheese or ice cream, and the size and dimen sions may likewise be varied.

Having thus described our invention, 1t

being understood that minor changes may be ".vithin' the casing and adapted to project rearwardly thereof, an abutment on the forward end of the rack bar, a door pivoted to the rear end of the casing, a sp ing arranged to normally retain the door in a pivota-lly retracted position, a cam on said door, a pawl pivoted to the door and in engagement with the rack bar, a shaft fixed to the revoluble cutting element and extending rearwardly to a point adjacent the door, a finger on the rear end of the shaft, and a disc on said finger arranged to engage the cannon the door at each revolution of the butter cutting element whereby the pawl is caused to advance the rack bar a distance equal to the width of, one of its teeth between each passage of the cutting element across the forward end of the casing.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

ELMER F. UNI)ERHILL. LOUIS R. VIDLER. 

